Food to keep your body warm and healthy

Is it just me or has it suddenly got very cold this week? I am waiting for the day when I need to use my de icer in the morning and am concerned that it isn’t that far off.

It’s also colder in the evenings and in a bid to get warm, we’ve been looking at some hearty but healthy dishes that will warm you through the winter nights and keep your digestive system in good shape too!

Curried bean & root vegetable casserole

This is a perfect autumn or winter dish, and although it may look rather lengthy, it takes at most, half an hour to prepare and is the ideal dish for a slow cooker. Do all the preparation the night before, put into your slow cooker before you leave for work and when you open the door in the evening, you’ll be greeted by mouth watering smells and a delicious dinner that’s ready to eat. This is one meal that’s exceptionally rich in prebiotics, thanks to the beans and the vegetables.

Serves 4
Per serving
278 calories  10g fat
1g saturated fat 6g fibre

Ingredients
1 large leek (sliced)
1 large onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
3tbsp rapeseed oil
3tsp good curry powder or paste
1 swede (cubed)
1 large parsnip (cubed)
2 carrots (cubed)
1 medium sweet potato (cubed)
About 700ml (1 1/4pints) basic stock (see Sauces section)
400g can chopped tomatoes
3tbsp tomato pureé
1 400g can broad beans (drained)

Method
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sweat the leek, onion and garlic, stirring continuously, for 3 mins.
2. Tip in the curry powder or paste, stir until it coats the vegetables and cook for another 2 mins.
3. Add the root vegetables to the pan and stir to coat thoroughly. Add the stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato pureé and bring to the boil.
4. Cover and simmer for 45 mins. Add the broad beans to the pan. Continue to simmer until beans and vegetable are all tender – about 10-15 mins.